طابَwas pleasing ليto me فيin الثَناpraise عَلىof خَيرthe finest صاحبْcompanion
طابَ لي في الثَنا عَلى خَير صاحبْ
لِلخديويto the Khedive وُرودُcoming to drink عَذبsweet المَشاربْwatering places
لِلخديوي وُرودُ عَذب المَشاربْ
It pleased me, in praising the finest companion
of the Khedive, to drink from sweet springs.
وَبَنيتand I built الضَميرthe inward conviction منيwithin me عَلىupon ماwhat
وَبَنيت الضَمير مني عَلى ما
أَعربتexpressed عَنهُabout it بِاللُغاتin the languages المَكاتبthe schools
أَعربت عَنهُ بِاللُغات المَكاتب
And I grounded my inward conviction upon what
the schools expressed in various tongues.
وَتَحلَّىand was adorned جيدthe neck المَدائحof praises فيهِconcerning him
وَتَحلَّى جيد المَدائح فيهِ
بِلآلٍwith pearls مَنظومةstrung together مِنfrom مناقبnoble merits
بِلآلٍ مَنظومة مِن مناقب
And the neck of praise for him was adorned
with pearls strung from noble merits,
بِخلالwith virtues لابنof Ibn المباركal-Mubarak تُروَىare recounted
بِخلال لابن المبارك تُروَى
عَنfrom ثِقاتtrustworthy authorities فيin شَرقِهاits east وَالمَغاربand the western lands
عَن ثِقات في شَرقِها وَالمَغارب
with virtues of Ibn al-Mubarak, recounted
by trustworthy authorities in the East and West.
كَيفَhow لاnot وَهوَand he فيin العُلومthe sciences إِمامٌa leading authority
كَيفَ لا وَهوَ في العُلوم إِمامٌ
ماthere is not لَهُfor him فيin زَمانهhis age مِنany مُقاربnear-equal
ما لَهُ في زَمانه مِن مُقارب
How could it be otherwise, when he is a master in the sciences,
with none in his age who comes close to him?
وَهوَand he مِنfrom مَعشرa people لَهُfor whom الفَضلexcellence أَضحىhas become
وَهوَ مِن مَعشر لَهُ الفَضل أَضحى
شاهِداًa witness بِاتفاقby the agreement of كُلall المَذاهبthe schools of thought
شاهِداً بِاتفاق كُل المَذاهب
And he is of a people for whom excellence has become
a witness, by the agreement of every school of thought.
وَهوَand he هَذاthis one الَّذيwho مصالحُthe interests of مصرEgypt
وَهوَ هَذا الَّذي مصالحُ مصر
منهthrough him فازتsucceeded فيin سيرهاtheir progress بالمآربwith the desired aims
منه فازت في سيرها بالمآرب
And he is the very man: Egypt's interests
have, through him, attained their aims as they advance.
منwho يجاريهmatches him فيin منافعthe benefits of قطرٍa country
من يجاريه في منافع قطرٍ
حبُّهlove for it مِنfrom بَنيهits sons بِالشَرعby religious law وَاجبobligatory
حبُّه مِن بَنيه بِالشَرع وَاجب
Who can match him in benefiting a country
whose sons are bound by religious law to love it?
مَنwho يُباريهrivals him فيin اِهتِمامdiligence وَحَزمand resolve
مَن يُباريه في اِهتِمام وَحَزم
وَعَفافand integrity بِهِthrough it تُصانare safeguarded المَراتبthe ranks
وَعَفاف بِهِ تُصان المَراتب
Who can rival him in diligence and resolve,
and integrity by which ranks are safeguarded?
مَنwho يُدانيهcomes near him فيin مَيادينthe arenas of سَبقpreeminence
مَن يُدانيه في مَيادين سَبق
مِنamong أَهاليthe people of بِلادهhis country وَالأَجانبand foreigners
مِن أَهالي بِلاده وَالأَجانب
Who comes near him in the arenas of excellence,
among his country's people and foreigners?
مَنwho يُساويهequals him فيin وَفاءfaithfulness بِوَعدto a promise
مَن يُساويه في وَفاء بِوَعد
لِمُقيمto a resident وَراحلand a traveler وَمراقبand an observer
لِمُقيم وَراحل وَمراقب
Who equals him in keeping a promise
to a resident, a traveler, and an observer?
مَنwho يُوازيهmatches him وَهوَand he حرّnoble كَريمgenerous
مَن يُوازيه وَهوَ حرّ كَريم
وَطنيّpatriotic فيin برهhis kindness بِالأَقاربtoward the relatives
وَطنيّ في بره بِالأَقارب
Who can match him, noble and generous,
patriotic in his kindness toward his kin?
عَنهُabout him سَلنيask me فيin كُلevery أَمرٍmatter فانيfor I
عَنهُ سَلني في كُل أَمرٍ فاني
لِسَجاياهof his virtues فيin الدَفاترthe books كاتبa recorder
لِسَجاياه في الدَفاتر كاتب
Ask me about him in every matter, for I
am a recorder of his virtues in the books.
فيهِin him ماwhatever شئتyou wish مِنof بَديعwondrous صِفاتqualities
فيهِ ما شئت مِن بَديع صِفات
حارَwas baffled فيin حَصرcounting بَعضِهاsome of them كُلevery حاسبreckoner
حارَ في حَصر بَعضِها كُل حاسب
He has whatever wondrous qualities you might wish;
every reckoner was baffled to count even some of them.
ياO بنيsons of مصرEgypt لَيسَthere is not مثلthe like of عَليٍّAli
يا بني مصر لَيسَ مثل عَليٍّ
فيin اِحتِفالٍattentive care لَكُمfor you بِجَلبin bringing المَكاسبgains
في اِحتِفالٍ لَكُم بِجَلب المَكاسب
O sons of Egypt, none is like Ali
in his care to bring you gains.
هُوَhe محييone who revives فيin الرَأيcounsel بِالريّthrough irrigation أَرضاًland
هُوَ محيي في الرَأي بِالريّ أَرضاً
لَمdid not يَزرهاvisit it لَولاهbut for him للنيلof the Nile ساكبan outpouring stream
لَم يَزرها لَولاه للنيل ساكب
Through his counsel, he revives land with irrigation,
which, but for him, no stream of the Nile would have visited.
وَالعَماراتand the buildings وَهيَand they are فيin مَصرEgypt شَتىvaried
وَالعَمارات وَهيَ في مَصر شَتى
شادهاerected them طبقaccording to رَسمهhis design كُلevery ناجبcapable man
شادها طبق رَسمه كُل ناجب
And the buildings, varied as they are in Egypt,
were raised to his design by every capable man.
فَبَدتso they appeared فيin مُتونهاtheir bodies كَحصونlike fortresses
فَبَدت في مُتونها كَحصون
حَولَهاaround them فيin الهَناjoy قُطوفclusters المَواكبthe processions
حَولَها في الهَنا قُطوف المَواكب
So they appeared in their bulk like fortresses,
with joyful clusters of processions around them.
هِيَthey are تِلكَthose الأَفلاكcelestial spheres فيهاwithin them بُدورfull moons
هِيَ تِلكَ الأَفلاك فيها بُدور
نُورُهاtheir light يَزدَريlooks down بِنُورupon the light of الكَواكبthe stars
نُورُها يَزدَري بِنُور الكَواكب
They are those celestial spheres, with full moons within them,
whose light scorns the light of the stars.
ياO لَكَfor you اللَهGod مِنas أَميرٍa prince تهناrejoice
يا لَكَ اللَه مِن أَميرٍ تهنا
بِكَthrough you فيin دَولةthe reign of العَزيزal-Aziz, the mighty ruler المَناصبthe offices
بِكَ في دَولة العَزيز المَناصب
May God favor you—what a prince! The offices rejoice
through you, in the reign of al-Aziz.
فَتقبلso accept منيfrom me فَريدةa peerless jewel عَقدٍa necklace
فَتقبل مني فَريدة عَقدٍ
تَتَجلّىshines forth فيin حُسنِهاits beauty كَالكَواكبlike the stars
تَتَجلّى في حُسنِها كَالكَواكب
So accept from me a necklace's peerless jewel,
shining in its beauty like the stars.
وَأَجزنيand reward me عَنهاfor it دَوامcontinuance ودادٍaffection
وَأَجزني عَنها دَوام ودادٍ
لَمdid not تغيرهalter it غابراتُbygone الحَقائبthe ages
لَم تغيره غابراتُ الحَقائب
And reward me for it with lasting affection
that the bygone ages have not altered.
وَابقand remain فيin نعمةblessing وَفَتحand triumph جَديدٍnew
وَابق في نعمة وَفَتح جَديدٍ
فيin الخصوباتabundance وَالغِنىand wealth لِلمَطالبfor the aims
في الخصوبات وَالغِنى لِلمَطالب
And remain in blessing and fresh triumph,
amid abundance and wealth to fulfill your aims.
وَإِذاand if شئتyou wish قُلsay لِمَجدكfor your glory أَرّخcompose a chronogram
وَإِذا شئت قُل لِمَجدك أَرّخ
بعليّthrough Ali علتrose مَراتبthe ranks of طالبa seeker
بعليّ علت مَراتب طالب
And if you wish, say this chronogram for your glory:
'Through Ali, a seeker's ranks have risen.'
Sol 6.1